


Like herding cats – Hi baby!

by PadBlack



Series: Like herding cats - Fluff against Bofa-sadness [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Baby Kíli, Big Brother Fíli, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Thorin is the best uncle in Middle-Earth, annoying baby brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 11:07:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2505584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadBlack/pseuds/PadBlack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fíli is so excited. His mother is expecting a baby. That's great! He will finally have someone to play with.<br/>But unfortunately it isn't that easy to be a big brother... baby Kíli is (sometimes) annoying but uncle Thorin is the best!</p>
<p>This story belongs to the: Durin family, kids, fluff and fun - Fluff against Bofa-sadness :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like herding cats – Hi baby!

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Ein Sack voll Flöhe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1167300) by [PadBlack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadBlack/pseuds/PadBlack). 



> Many thanks to ceallaig - for beta-ing my rough translation.  
> I couldn't have done this without your support and help <3

 

**Like herding cats – Hi baby!**

 

"Hi baby, I've done something sooooo great today. Shall I tell you?" The five-year-old Fíli stroked over the naked, heavily pregnant belly of his mother.

 

Dís smiled as her blond son, excitedly babbling to himself, carefully groped for the unborn sibling with his little hand. The expectant mother felt the reaction inside her just before it was visible: a bump, maybe from a tiny fist. Fíli giggled. The baby was awake and moving. The boy raised his head and beamed at his mother. "How long, Ama? When will the baby finally be there? "

 

"Soon, sannidoy, only a few more days." Dís affectionately stroked Fíli's blond curls away from his forehead. He asked her the same question every night.

 

Each night she put her son to bed, she sat with him for a while and let the boy talk to the unborn. She pushed up the wide shirt she wore now, because nothing else fitted anymore, so Fíli could touch her bare belly. Later she sang a lullaby to her two children while Fíli snuggled up against her, the little hand still on her belly.

 

Just before the little boy fell asleep he whispered sleepily, "Good night, baby."

 

. ~ * ~.

 

Dís and her husband had told Fíli that they would soon have a baby and he would be a big brother, when the little boy noticed that his mother stroked her belly and sometimes even talked to it.

 

"Why are you doing this, Ama? Can the baby hear you?"

 

"Yes, my dear, the baby likes it when I talk to it. You liked it too, sannidoy." The dwarrodam smiled at her blond boy, who looked at her wide-eyed.

 

"Can it hear me, too?"

 

Dís nodded. "Of course, and it will also remember your voice, later, after it is born…Ooh!"

Dís suddenly pressed a hand on her bulging belly.

 

"Ama, what's wrong?"

 

"The baby is awake. Fíli, come, sit down next to me." She took her son's little hand and placed it onto her belly. Moments later there was a nudge from the inside. Fíli flinched startled. "What t-is?"

 

Dís laughed: "That's the baby. See? It noticed that you're there. Talk to it."

 

"Hello Baby!" The little boy giggled happily, he pressed a kiss onto his mother's belly.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

It was the day of Dís' delivery - finally.

 

Fíli pouted.

 

They had sent him away. He shouldn't stand in the way, they had told him. It could take several hours, until the baby was born.

 

The blond boy was so excited that the baby would be born. At last he would be able to play with it, not just telling him what he did all day. He wanted to show the baby so many things: the rabbits who lived behind the house in the barn, his cave he had built in the hedge, Adad's and Uncle Thorin's forge that he was sometimes allowed to visit - just everything.

 

And now Mr. Balin had to make sure that he behaved properly.

 

Even Uncle Thorin wasn't in the forge today, but waited at their home for the baby.

 

Fíli kicked angrily stones across the yard. He had his arms crossed over his small chest and snivelled. His head was bowed. It was so unfair.

 

"Fíli, don't you want to come inside?" Balin asked the blond quietly.

 

The boy shook his head sulky and refused to look up.

 

The grey-haired dwarf stepped outside. He crouched down next to the little boy and gently grabbed his arm, so he had to stop.

 

Fíli ran his free arm across his eyes and runny nose.

 

"Hey, what do you think about a couple of biscuits and a delicious tea with lots of sugar and cream? And then I'll tell you a story. "

 

Fíli looked up.

 

"Cookies?" He sniffed once, then a grin spread across his face. "Yeaaah!"

 

Balin got up and grabbed the boy's hand. "Well, come along."

 

Fíli was already eating his fourth cookie when Balin put a mug of tea in front of him.

 

"Careful, it's still hot."

 

Suddenly the front door opened with a flourish. A booming voice called out. "BALIN! Hey brother, did you know that Dís will have her baby today?" Dwalin, the bald-headed dwarf, stopped dead when he noticed Fíli, who sat at the kitchen table and stared at him with wide eyes, a half-eaten biscuit in his hand.

 

Balin put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow when he said to his brother. "Of course I know that, brother. Why do you think, young Fíli is our guest today. So please, be so kind and don't trouble him with your roar! "

 

Shortly afterwards Fíli eased in the presence of Dwalin, who always scared him a bit. The fearsome warrior accompanied him at the table and nibbled on a biscuit Fíli had shyly offered him.

 

Balin suppressed a grin while he watched the two.

 

After a few more cookies, Fíli remembered the story Balin had promised to tell.

 

"Oh yes." He began, and sat down.

 

"You know, Fíli, many years ago, there was a boy, a little older than you, who was all excited because his mother was having a baby."

 

"But, Mr. Balin," the little boy interrupted him. "My Amad is having a baby."

 

Dwalin stifled a laugh and Balin smiled fondly at the blond.

 

"Yes, Fíli, your Amad is also having a baby, but then it was my Amad, who was having a baby."

 

Fíli stared at the old dwarf with furrowed brow.

 

"Should I continue?"

 

Fíli nodded.

 

"So, my Amad had a baby and my Adad was terribly nervous and so they sent me away. Relatives watched over me at that time. You see, exactly the same thing happened to me as to you. A few hours later my Adad picked me up and told me that I had a little brother. "

 

"Where is your brother, Mr. Balin?" Fíli asked, tense.

 

Dwalin had to bite his tongue to keep himself from laughing out loud. Balin giggled uncharacteristically.

 

"Well Fíli, that little baby brother is now sitting with us at the table. It is Dwalin." The grey-haired dwarf winked at the boy whose jaw dropped.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

Fíli woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed. Anxiously he looked around.

 

"Amad? Adad?" he cried. The next moment Balin rushed into the room.

 

"Good morning, Fíli." he said kindly. "Did you sleep well?"

 

The blond nodded slowly, then he remembered. "The baby isn't there?" he asked hesitantly.

 

Balin smiled. "Yes, laddie, you have a little brother."

 

Fíli looked surprised then a big smile spread across his face. "Where is he? Can I see him?" The boy jumped excitedly out of bed.

 

"Slowly, slowly," Balin stopped the blond. "You'll see him soon, but you have to get dressed first and then have breakfast, do you hear me?"

 

Fíli twisted his mouth into a pout. "Oooo-kaaay" He answered slowly.

 

When the boy came into the kitchen and climbed onto one of the chairs, he asked. "Mr. Balin, why you know, I have a brother?"

 

The elder placed a bowl of porridge in front of the boy and said, "Your uncle Thorin came along late yesterday evening and told us. You've been already asleep so we didn't wake you."

 

Fíli sighed. "But I wanted to know when the baby is there." He stirred his porridge, disappointed.

 

Balin sat down next to him. "Look, your Amad and your brother were exhausted from the birth and had to sleep, just like you. Today you are all well rested and I promise, when you have finished your breakfast, I'll take you home."

 

It took less than five minutes until Fíli had scraped the last bit of porridge out of his bowl.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

Fíli was disappointed when he saw his brother Kíli for the first time. He was so tiny and somewhat crumpled, and he had almost no hair. He couldn't even talk. How could he play with Kíli?

 

Dís interpreted Fíli's expression on his face correctly. She patted beside her on the mattress, so he could sat down beside her. The blond boy did her the favour and climbed up on the big bed. He snuggled himself against his mother. She put her free arm around his small shoulders, hugged her elder son and gave him a kiss on his head.

 

"Fíli, my dear, are you disappointed about your little brother?"

 

He raised his eyes and when he nodded shyly, Dís smiled.

 

"Don't worry, sannidoy, he will grow soon enough, then you can play together."

 

"But I thought, I could play with him now," Fíli pouted.

 

Dís chuckled. "Fíli, you, too, were once as small as Kíli. How else would you've fitted inside my belly? "

 

She kissed Fíli again. Suddenly Kíli make squawking noises that soon turned it into a cry. Dís cradled the baby in her arms, then she pulled down her loose shirt and gave Kíli her breast.

 

Fíli watched in fascination as the baby stopped crying and started to drink.

 

Later Dís laid Kíli at her shoulder and patted slightly on his back. The boy made a surprisingly loud burping sound.

 

Fíli started to giggle.

 

Maybe his little brother wasn't that bad?

 

. ~ * ~.

 

"Fíli, don't make such a noise. You'll wake your brother. He had just fallen asleep." Dís hissed angrily.

 

The blond boy's shoulders slumped. He noticed, how his lower lip began to tremble. No, he wouldn't cry. He swallowed hard, then he raised his chin defiantly and stomped out of the room extra loudly.

 

"FÍLI"

 

The blond boy ran outside and hid in his cave in the hedge behind the house. He knew he should have to stay indoors. It was nearly time for dinner, but Amad was already mad at him, as she was so often lately.

 

It was always:

Fíli, don't do this.

Fíli, don't do that.

Fíli, take care of your brother.

Fíli, don't tease your brother.

Fíli, don't be so loud.

Fíli, behave yourself, you're already a big boy.

 

Tears rolled down the blond's cheeks. He wiped them away angrily, but he couldn't stop crying. In this moment he hated his little brother.

 

Kíli, who almost always cried at night and kept them awake.

 

Kíli, who was too small, too weak, too sensitive and about who they constantly making a fuss.

 

Fíli wondered why he had ever looked forward to getting a brother.

 

He had even given him his favourite teddy bear. Now Fíli missed his bear painfully, maybe he could just take him back? He could say, Kíli didn't want him, but then he sighed, they wouldn't believe him of course.

 

Secretly, he really liked Kíli very much. When the baby laughed, Fíli's heart seemed to melt. And Kíli laughed usually when he saw his big brother. When Amad told them a story in the evening, she placed the baby next to the blond and the younger stretched out his tiny hand to grab one of Fíli's fingers and clasp firmly at it.

 

In such moments he loved his little brother deeply, but most of the time stupid things just happened and when Kíli started to cry, Fíli was to blame again.

 

"Fíli?"

 

The boy winced alarmed when he heard his name. He crawled deeper into his cave, pulled his knees to his chest and pressed his eyes tightly shut. The other would surely go away if he kept quiet.

 

Fíli heard a rustle. He opened one eye cautiously and saw his uncle's head between the branches.

 

"There you are," he said gently.

 

"Go away," the boy replied and snivelled.

 

"Hey" Thorin squeezed himself through a narrow opening between the twigs and crouched down next to his nephew on the ground. Carefully he laid his hand on Fíli's head.

 

"Fíli, what is it?"

 

Fíli sobbed. Thorin pulled his nephew on his lap and hugged the blond. Fíli clung to him and wept bitterly.

 

"Hush," Thorin tried to calm the boy. "Tell me what's going on, huh?"

 

Fíli felt secure at Thorin's chest. He sniffed a few times, then he started to hiccup, but he tried to explain to his uncle. "A-Amad (hiccup) ye-yelled at m-me again (hiccup). I-it's always (hiccup) K-Kíli here (hiccup) Kíli there." Again a sniffle. "I-I'm always (hiccup) to (hiccup) blame." The boy pressed his face against Thorin's chest and hiccuped softly now and then.

 

"Oh, Fíli." Thorin sighed and stroked gently the boy's back. "It's not easy being a big brother, right?" Fíli shook his head, pressed against Thorin's chest.

 

"You know, I was at your age, when my brother was born." He swallowed at the memory of the dead Frerin. "And sometimes I didn't like him, either, but you know, a little brother can be wonderful, too. Of course Kíli is still too small to play with you, but you'll see, soon he'll be following you everywhere and you'll wish he would leave you alone sometimes." When Fíli looked up, he saw that Thorin winked at him, smiling. Fíli giggled. "And you know what, Fíli? I'll tell you a secret." He leaned close to the boy's ear and whispered in a low voice. "Your mother was much worse than baby Kíli." And then Thorin tickled his nephew until he laughed out loud.

 

After a while Thorin stood up carefully, with Fíli on his arms, and pushed his way back into the open. "Let's have a look what's for dinner."

 

. ~ * ~.

 

"Nooo, Amad, Kíli shouldn't move in my room!" Fíli stamped his foot and glared angrily at his mother.

 

Dís just carried the belongings of her youngest son into the nursery.

 

"And why not, if I may ask?"

 

"Because ... because that's my room and... and Kíli is stupid."

 

"Fíli! None of that! You're acting just foolishly lately." Dís could only shake her head over Fíli's inexplicable defiance.

 

Meanwhile Kíli crawled merrily around the room and then straight at his big brother. The dark-haired baby giggled happily. Fíli took a step back. "Go away," he hissed at the younger. Kíli hesitated at his brother's aggressive voice. Then he started to cry.

 

Dís rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fíli, what was that all about? Just look what you've done! Now he's crying again." She took Kíli in her arms and dandled him. Shortly after, the little boy had calmed down.

 

"Kíli – Kíli – Kíli!" Fíli screamed suddenly and tears ran down his face. "It's always Kíli." And thus the blond stormed furiously out of the room.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

Dís found her eldest son in his favourite hiding place: inside the hedge.

 

"Fíli?" No reply. "Fíli, I know you're in there. Come out please. I want to talk to you. "

 

"But I don't want to talk to you," her son replied defiantly.

 

Dís took a deep breath. "Well, stay there. But will you just tell me why you dislike your brother lately? "

 

Silence from the hedge.

 

"Fíli" Dís continued. "You've been so excited to have a baby brother and you wanted to share your room with him. What happened?"

 

"I don't want to share my room and I don't want to have a brother."

 

Dís was clueless. She obviously couldn't argue with Fíli. Well, she had to go back inside the house. Although Kíli sat safe in his playpen, she wouldn't let the little one go too long unattended.

 

Before Dís turned around, she said in a stern voice. "If that is so, then you get no dessert tonight, and you go straight to bed immediately after dinner. Tonight Kíli will stay with your father and me in the bedroom, but as from tomorrow on you share your room with him. Do you understand me?"

 

A desperate cry of rage could be heard from inside the hedge.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

After they had sent Fíli to bed after dinner, Dís sat together with her husband and Thorin, each of them with a cup of tea in front of them.

 

"I don't understand why Fíli is acting like this about his brother," she said, shaking her head.

 

Her husband took her left hand in his and stroked it gently, smiling, he said. "The little one is probably in a phase of defiance. He'll calm down again soon enough, you'll see."

 

Thorin cleared his throat. "I don't know," he started slowly. "I think Fíli's jealous of his little brother."

 

"What? What makes you think that?" Dís asked indignantly. "We don't treat him differently than before Kíli's birth. It's normal that we’d concentrate on the baby. He knew that before."

 

Thorin shook his head. "My dear sister - my dear _younger_ sister," he said with a faint smile. "I think I can understand his feelings better than you - remember, I grew up with two younger siblings."

 

Thorin stood up, nodded at his brother-in-law and kissed his sister on the forehead, then he left the kitchen.

 

Dís and her husband looked puzzled at each other.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

Fíli stared sullenly at his brother. Dís had laid Kíli on a soft blanket on the floor at the nursery and instructed the blond to take care of the younger one. Fíli had moved as far away from the baby as possible, leaning with his back against the wall. He did not even dare to move. Hopefully Kíli did not start to cry again.

 

The baby turned his head looking back and forth. Kíli tried to sit up, but fell back again and again on his back.

 

Fíli watched him gleefully. "Oh, can't little Kíli sit all alone?" His brother turned his face to him and as he realized Fíli was there, he started to beam and made cooing sounds. Fíli stuck out his tongue but Kili’s tiny hands stretched out in his direction.

 

"Stop it!" Fíli snapped at him. The baby was frightened and once again, screwed up his face. Fíli groaned even before Kíli began to cry.

 

He tried to ignore it, but the baby's cries increased in volume.

 

Probably their mother would stomp into the room and scolded Fíli because he had teased his brother again.

 

Annoyed the blond boy rose and went to the baby. Kili’s face was already red from crying. He had clenched his tiny hands into fists and shouted with all his might.

 

Fíli made a frustrated sound, then suddenly he screamed at the baby. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

 

Hot tears filled the blond's eyes and rage for his little brother came over him. He started to complain. "It's all about you. No one likes me any more. You get everything - my room, too. Amad and Adad love you more than me. I gave you Mr. Bear, but you always cry. You are a stupid brother. I don't like you." The blond dropped on the floor and sat sobbing next to the baby. He didn't even noticed the sudden quietness at first. Kíli was only whimpering softly. Frightened Fíli looked up. "Kíli?"

 

The baby looked at him with wide eyes, red from weeping. His hands reached for him.

 

Fíli swallowed. Why was his brother suddenly so quiet?

 

The blond glared at the wailing baby and gradually moved backwards until he hit the wall with his back again. Kíli's crying increased the more Fíli moved away from him. Still stretching his little hands in Fíli's direction.

 

Suddenly Kíli managed to turn on his stomach and now the boy started to crawl towards his big brother.

 

Fíli watched as Kíli approached him slowly. The crying had stopped. The baby's whole attention was now on reaching the blond. When he almost had managed it, Fíli carefully held out a hand and Kíli grabbed at it. He got hold of Fíli's forefinger. The baby gurgled happily. Fíli sighed softly. Then he pulled Kíli gingerly into his lap. Kíli made a joyful squealing sound. Fíli couldn't suppress a smile. He pressed a kiss on the baby's dark shock of hair, then he stroked him gently over the belly. Kíli made cooing noises and snuggled against his brother. Fíli held him safely. Kili’s mouth twisted into a smile that Fíli returned unconsciously. Finally he realized that his brother liked him and simply missed him. He stroked Kíli gently over the dark curly head.

 

"Hi baby," the blond whispered softly.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

Dís needed to have a look at her sons. She was a little unsure if she had done the right thing, as she had left them both alone for a little while. In between, she thought she had heard Kíli crying, but now all was quiet.

 

Quietly and intently listening she went up the stairs. She opened the door to the nursery.

 

Her gaze went automatically to the quilt, on which she had laid down the baby.

 

She stared wide-eyed at the abandoned blanket. In a fit of panic, she pushed the door further open. Then she saw her two sons.

 

Fíli was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall and Kíli safely in his lap. The baby's head was resting at his brother's chest. Fíli's left hand stroked Kíli's belly while the baby clutched tightly with both hands to his right.

 

The baby seemed to listen thoughtfully, while his big brother quietly told him a story.

 

Dís smiled.

 

 

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading - comments/kudos would make my day :)


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